PRAGUE (Reuters) - Thousands of West Ham United fans descended on Prague on Tuesday ahead of the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina, filling local pubs and singing in the streets as they celebrated throughout the historic city centre.
Prague police called in several hundred officers to patrol the event as they braced for an estimated 20,000 West Ham supporters - many without match tickets - to revel in their team's first European competition final in nearly half a century.
"Obviously, we would have liked it to have been in a bigger stadium where loads of people could have been there because it is such a special event," she said."But we're going to make the most of it. Enjoy that fan zone and soak in every moment." West Ham won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1965 for their only moment of continental glory. They lost in the 1976 final and the closest they have come since, excluding their 1999 Intertoto Cup victory, was last season's Europa League semi-finals.
The visitors have received a warm welcome from pub owners who expect capacity crowds drinking copious amounts of famous Czech beer in the run-up to the match and well beyond the final whistle.
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